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Texas A&M star QB ranked Top 20 in ESPN's pre-spring QB rankings
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- Texas A&M star QB ranked Top 20 in ESPN's pre-spring QB rankings
Texas A&M's 2026 offense will be led by redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed for the third consecutive season, while this will be the Tennessee native's second full season under center after trading several starts with Conner Weigman in 2024. After flipping his commitment from Ole Miss, Reed signed with the Aggies before the 2023 season, which would be former head coach Jimbo Fisher's final year at the helm.
Staying the course, Reed opted to remain with the program after Mike Elko replaced Fisher, and after starting the 2024 campaign as Conner Weigman's backup, injuries and impressive play led to the dual-threat signal caller solidifying his role as the team's starting quarterback until further notice. However, Reed's play has been far from perfect, and has tapered off at the end of the last two seasons.
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Still, Reed's improvement in the pocket was notable last season, finishing with 3,169 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, all career highs, while connecting with star transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver for nearly 1,900 yards and 11 touchdowns. With Craver set to return, paired with Ashton Bethel-Roman , Terry Bussey , and Alabama transfer wideout Isaiah Horton , Texas A&M 's offense does not lack explosive weapons.
Marcel Reed 's poor play against Texas to end the 2025 regular season and failing to capitalize in the red zone against Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff are the primary reasons some within the Aggie fan base fear Texas A&M could struggle during next season's tough schedule.
After being ranked 7th in CBS Sports' preseason SEC quarterback rankings, Reed comes in at No. 18 in ESPN's pre-spring QB rankings for all 68 Power 4 college football teams, which is quite a compliment given the number of future NFL quarterbacks returning for a final season.
"When Reed is good, he's otherworldly. He did, after all, lead A&M to an 11-0 start last season, with the Aggies' offense scoring at least 31 points 10 times. But more than other potentially elite QBs, he seems to let one mistake drive another one, and the errors added up late in the season: He threw eight interceptions in his last six games, and A&M scored a total of 20 points in the last two. Few QBs bring more big-play potential to the table. Let's see whether Reed can finish the drill a bit better this time."
"Let's see if" has been attached to Marcel Reed from the start of the offseason, knowing that his play up until the final two games was Heisman Trophy-worthy, and if the Aggie run game improves and finds more consistency, a balanced attack should help Reed find success against tougher defenses that have kept him behind the eight ball more often than not.
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Among the SEC QBs ranked, Marcel Reed is ranked sixth behind Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Arch Manning (Texas), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Byrum Brown (Auburn), and Sam Leavitt ( LSU ).
Texas A&M's spring football season will begin on March 20 and conclude on April 18 after the Maroon & White Spring Game.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M's Marcel Reed ranked Top 20 in ESPN's pre-spring QB rankings
